


All the Worlds a Stage

by octobermango (coffeecinnamoncake)



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Theatre, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, F/M, Romeo and Juliet References, The Gaang are theater kids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:26:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28972797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeecinnamoncake/pseuds/octobermango
Summary: It's Katara's third year as a theater major at Ba Sing Se University, and she has played lead roles before, and she has never, EVER, fallen for her costar. But this year, that reputation might be tested when she lands the role of Juliet (in Romeo and Juliet) and Romeo is being played by fun loving newcomer Aang.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 43





	1. The Cast List

There was quite the commotion going on in the theater wing of Ba Sing Se University. Crashing waves of college students flooded up to the cast list for the upcoming production of Romeo and Juliet. Happiness, nervousness, and disappointment mixed together in a chaotic tide.

"How does it look, Twinkle Toes?" a short girl in baggy jeans and sweatpants asked.

"It... does not look good," said the boy she was referring to, staring at the crowd from afar, "Toph, Maybe we should wait..."

"Absolutely not, Aang. I am just _Dying_ to know whether you landed the part of a bush or a tree. We both know that those require _very_ different skill sets." Aang sighed. 

"I guess so, but you don't know how nerve wracking it is."

"You're right. I'll be painting the sets regardless of what kind of shrubbery you're cast as." Toph punched him playfully in the arm, and tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear, revealing her milky green eyes, "Shall we." Aang audibly gulped. Together they pushed through the crowd, and he caught snippets of conversation, growing more and more nervous every second. 

"They just don't appreciate my genius."

"How come that kid got the lead?" 

"An _understudy_? Mai, can you believe this?!"

At last they reached the cast list. Aang expected his name to be near the bottom, but instead, at the top of the list, he saw **Romeo: Aang Park**

"Toph, are you seeing this," Aang breathed.

"Really," Toph said, "I'm the one who makes the 'Toph is Blind' jokes around here."

"Sorry," Aang said quickly, "I- I got Romeo." 

"So who's the unlucky lady," Toph asked. Aang continued to look at the cast list.

"Um, her name is Katara. I don't know her, I've only ever done the musicals, never the plays." 

"She's pretty nice. I've seen her doing Shakespeare before," Toph said as they crept outside, sitting on a bench, "Although she's a bit of a Sugar Queen if you ask me."

"Toph," Aang sighed, pulling his red hat over his ears in the midst of the crisp September air, "I love you, but what does that even mean?"

~~~

"It's definitely going to be Zuko and Suki," said another girl, walking up to the cast list a little while later.

"No, I've got my money on Azula, and maybe Haru," said her brother, walking next to her. The both shared the same bright blue eyes. 

"Oh, come on, Sokka," said the girl, "Suki and Zuko are both seasoned veterans, and their auditions were fantastic. They'll be _perfect_ as Romeo and Juliet."

"Maybe a little _too_ seasoned, _KATARA,_ " Sokka stroked an imaginary mustache. Katara rolled her eyes, "Don't forget that Romeo and Juliet is about young love. They might want some newbies in the roles. Who knows, maybe you'll get the part," he shrugged, "Piandao seemed to love you as Viola in Twelfth Night last year." Katara smiled. 

The crowd had died down when they finally reached the cast list. Katara gasped.

"Sokka! I- I got the part! I got Juliet!" 

"Well, don't mess it up," Sokka said jokingly. Katara elbowed him. She read the words again, making sure that they were real, and not just a figment of her imagination, and saw that Sokka got the part of Mercutio, Romeo's best friend.

"I've always wanted to die onstage," he said contentedly.

"Half the cast dies, Sokka," Katara said flatly.

"Congrats!" Standing at the entrance to the auditorium was none other than Suki. She ran up and hugged Katara, "You're going to be an _amazing_ Juliet." 

"Thanks," she said, "So you aren't angry, or..."

"Of course not," Suki said quickly, "But you should be a little worried about Azula." 

"Huh?" Katara looked closely at the cast list. Underneath the main cast were the understudies, and next to Juliet's name on that list, " _Azula's_ my understudy."

"It'll be fine," Suki said unconvincingly, "She'll just hate you for the rest of your life." She was about to go back into the auditorium when she waved to Sokka, "I'll see you in class tomorrow!" Sokka turned as red as a tomato. Katara snickered. 

"So who's 'Aang'" Sokka asked, trying to distract from his obvious infatuation. 

"I'm not sure," Katara said, "Maybe I'll ask Ty Lee. She seems to know everyone."

~~~

"Oh yeah, we did Into the Woods together last year, and Aang was _amazing_ ," said Katara's roommate. Ty Lee braided her long, brown hair into a braid. The dorm room they shared was decorated in half cool blues, and half rosy shades of pink, clashing together to form a cotton candy color scheme. Katara hadn't liked it at first, but it was growing on her. 

"Don't tell Azula I said this," Ty Lee continued, "But you're going to be a great Juliet."

"Thanks, Ty," Katara said warmly, "Are you coming to the read through on Thursday?"

"I'm actually the costume designer this year," Ty Lee said, "And you are going to look like the most beautiful 14th century Capulet that our pathetic budget can buy."

~~~

Thursday came, no one quit the production, and it was time for the read through. Aang nervously filed into the auditorium alone, frantically looking for someone in the cast that he knew. He saw a flash of auburn hair. _Suki._

"Hey, Suk-" She was already talking to someone else. He had tousled black hair and something red on his face. As Aang moved a step closer, he realized it was a scar. 

"Alright, Everyone, settle down," said Mr. Piandao, their director, "Can you all please stand in a circle on stage, and we'll get started." Aang, along with the rest of the cast, obliged, "Now, we're going to introduce ourselves, starting in order of the cast list." There was a long silence, before Aang realized that he was at the top of the cast list.

"Uh, hi, I'm Aang," he said, his voice wavering, "I'm playing Romeo." The silence was shorter this time.

"I'm Katara," said a girl standing across from him, with blue eyes and brown hair and skin, "I'm playing Juliet." They locked eyes, and Katara smiled at him. Aang smiled back. 

"I'm Sokka. I'm playing Mercutio," Sokka was standing next to Katara and they looked like siblings.

"I'm Zuko, I'll be playing Tybalt," said the boy with the scar from earlier.

"My name's Suki. I'm playing Juliet's nurse." This continued until everyone had introduced themselves. Then they started reading through the play from their scripts, still standing in a circle, stumbling over Shakespeare's complicated prose. So far Aang liked the cast. It seemed fairly free of drama and conflict, but then again, this was only his first rehearsal.


	2. Blocking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cast starts rehearsing the show, Katara is threatened by Azula, and Aang and Katara start to get to know one another as cast mates.

When Aang walked into the auditorium the following Monday, he saw Katara and Sokka waving to them from the second row. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he wouldn't have to sit alone, and walked over to them. 

"Here!" Katara handed him a thick paperback scrip, "So you don't have to use one of the packets."

"Thanks," Aang said, "But... why?"

"I've always felt as though there's too much animosity between cast mates," Katara said as Sokka rolled his eyes, "Besides, you seem cool! I'm excited to costar with you!"

"Tell that to Azula," Sokka muttered. 

"Azula? She was the witch in Into the Woods last year," Aang said with a look of confusion on his face, "I didn't see her at the read through."

"That's because she's my understudy," Katara whispered, and Aang saw piercing golden eyes, staring right at Katara. 

"Alright everyone, sit down, and we'll get going," said Mr. Piandao. Azula turned her gaze away from Katara and sat in the row behind them. Katara tensed up, as if she expected her to take out a pair of scissors and start chopping her hair off. 

"We'll be blocking the first two scenes today," Piandao continued, "We don't need to worry about the details right now, just your movements and locations on stage. If you aren't in these first two scenes, you can sit in the back row, so you don't distract the rest of the cast."

"Bye guys," Katara whispered, standing up and taking her script to the back of the auditorium, while Azula's eyes tracked her like a lioness, searching for her next kill. 

~~~

Katara settled into the seat at the back of the auditorium, taking out a highlighter and beginning to mark in Juliet's lines in her script. She paused when she got to the balcony scene. It was always her favorite. 

"That which we call a rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet," she whispered. She didn't need to look at the script. Her mother always kept a huge book of Shakespeare's collective works in her bedroom, and sometimes Katara would look at the most romantic and beautiful scenes, memorizing entire pages at a time. 

"Aang, can you enter from stage left?" She glanced up from the script and saw Aang walking onto the stage, wearing the same orange knit hat that he had at the read through, "I'm not going to give any stage directions for this portion, just make it seem natural," Piandao said. 

Aang, as Romeo, engaged in a few lines of dialogue with Jet, who was playing Benvolio, then launched into a short monologue. Katara had dated Jet for a few months, but it had quickly ended, along with the puffy clouds and dry spells of summer. 

"Mis-shapen chaos of well-seeming forms, Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, Still-waking sleep that is not what it is. This love feel I, that feel no love in this" Aang finished. 

Katara sat there, transfixed. She didn't even hear the click-clack of stiletto heels coming towards her. Everything that he said felt so... earnest. She understood why he had been cast in the main role. It was only the first day, and yet it felt like he wasn't even playing a part. 

"Do you mind if I sit here?" It was Azula. 

"Oh, um-"

"Well, too bad. I'm going to anyway," she set down her designer handbag and began marking in the same lines as Katara with a much nicer highlighter. 

"Look," Azula said, "You're crazy if you think you're going to be playing Juliet on opening night." 

"Is that a threat?" Katara said coldly.

"Only if you make it one," She replied, her face twisted into a smirk. From the stage, people would think that they were just two friends, smiling and going over their lines together.

~~~

The first time that Aang and Katara actually interacted onstage was the next day, in Act One, scene five, the party scene. 

"Patience perforce with willful choler meeting," Zuko was saying. He played Juliet's bitter cousin, Tybalt, "Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting. I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall. Now seeming sweet, convert to bitterest gall." Zuko exited the stage, which was Aang's cue to approach Katara. 

"If I profane with my unworthiest hand..." This continued for awhile, as Romeo and Juliet flirted. Mr. Piandao mostly nodded his head in agreement, occasionally telling some of the cast members in the background to move around the stage. 

"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake," Katara said. Aang was entranced by her voice. It had an almost musical quality to it. 

"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take," he finished. There was a long pause. 

"Is this the part where they kiss?!" Sokka whispered loudly from where he was standing next to Jet. Piandao sighed. 

"We aren't going to focus on the details right now," he said, "So let's just work on the basics. Keep going." Aang relaxed just a little. He wasn't sure why, but there was something about Katara that just made him nervous. He'd never felt this way in the other productions he was in.

~~~

On Wednesday, they blocked the 1st and second scenes of act two (there were five acts in Romeo and Juliet), including the infamous balcony scene.

"O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name.Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet," Katara said. The sets weren't built yet, so they were standing side by side. She wasn't using her script at all, while Aang would only glance down at it from time to time. 

"I think they're going to be great," Suki said quietly to Zuko backstage, who nodded. She elbowed Sokka, "What do you think?"

"What? Oh- Well- I-" Sokka cleared his throat, "I mean, Katara's my sister, and she's a great actress, and Aang seems really genuine, but they're still really awkward around each other, you know? It doesn't seem like they fell in love at first sight."

"I mean, love at first sight is probably still awkward in reality," Zuko piped in. 

"But with Shakespeare, love is all about passion. It's this wild, unpredictable force," Suki turned to Sokka, "Give me your phone."

"What?" Sokka stared at her, flabbergasted, "Why?" Still, he shrugged and took his phone out of his pocket and gave it to Suki. It was older and cracked around the edges, but it worked. For a moment, there was just the sound of Suki typing into it. 

"Here's me and Zuko's numbers," she said, "Let's hang out sometime."

"I didn't agree to this," Zuko retorted. Sokka smiled. To him, Suki, Zuko, and Mai, Zuko's girlfriend, were untouchable. They were acting veterans, and had been theater kids since middle school. Honestly, they had probably come out of the womb quoting Hamlet. 

"Don't mess this up, smart guy," Katara joked as she exited the stage. 

"Alright, next scene," said Mr. Piandao, "Haru, you're up."


	3. Moment to Moment

One week passed, then another, and before Aang knew it, they were finished with blocking. Now it was time for the character work, the choreography, and the details. 

"Alright everyone, we're going to split off into different groups," said Mr. Piandao. He was looking pretty tired, with ghostly circles under his eyes. Organizing a theater production would do that to you, "I'm going to choreograph the sword fight with Mercutio and Tybalt." Sokka and Zuko glanced at each other, "Suki, can you run Act One, Scene five with Romeo and Juliet in the green room?"

"Sure!" Suki gestured to Aang and Katara, who followed her. "Let's take the shortcut," she hopped onto the stage and made her way through the curtains, passed the half finished sets, backstage to the door that was propped open, and through a small, short hallway. They passed Toph in the prop room and Mai and Ty Lee doing makeup in the dressing rooms before they got to the green room. There was a couch, a few mismatched chairs, and a headset for someone to communicate with the people onstage and in the sound booth.

"Let's start from the top of your interactions," Suki smirked, "and don't skip out on the details."

"If I profane with my unworthiest hand," Aang started.

"Take her hand," Suki instructed. He did. 

"This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand, To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss," he finished.

"Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much," Katara took both of Aang's hands in hers. She hoped he couldn't tell that hers were shaking. Why were they shaking?! "Which mannerly devotion shows in this, For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss."

"Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?" Aang hoped Katara didn't notice his hands were shaking. Why were they shaking?!?

"Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must move in prayer." 

"O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do. They pray; grant thou, lest faith turn to despair."

"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake."

"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take." They glanced at Suki, who nodded. Aang tried to ignore his erratic, frantic heartbeat, pounding in his chest, as he leaned forward and kissed Katara, their lips only brushing together for an instant. "Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged."

"Then have my lips the sin that they have took."

"Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again." Katara blushed, smiled, and kissed Aang in turn. The kiss was quick, light as a feather, but it was electrifying. She stared into his deep, kind brown eyes, and he searched her mysterious blue ones.   
"Not bad," Suki said, with that infuriating smirk still on her face, as they broke eye contact. She was enjoying this way too much, "Now, I don't know if any of that was acting or not, but still, not bad." There was a pause, "Let's try again, from the top."

~~~

The next day, an older woman named Hama came in to teach them ballroom dancing. Aang was surprised to see Katara choose him as her dancing partner, especially after the awkwardness that had taken place the day before, but then he saw that Jet was the alternative, and he understood. 

"Well, Suki is definitely something," he said trying to make conversation. Suki glided seamlessly across the stage with Zuko as her dance partner. 

"Sokka says she came out of the womb quoting Hamlet," Katara laughed. Her eyes were looking straight at her doc martens. Dancing didn't come naturally to her, and if she didn't focus on the steps, she would fall behind, "He's also hopelessly in love with her."

"Does she know?" Katara shrugged. 

"Probably, Suki's pretty perceptive. Sokka was with this girl, Yue, all throughout highschool. Then she went to study abroad, and he didn't date for like a year and a half," Katara smiled and looked up from her shoes, "When he met Suki, he was instantly smitten. It's about time he tell her." 

"One, two, three, and switch partners," said Hama. Aang reluctantly tore away from Katara and found himself with Azula. She was dancing in high heels. HIGH HEELS! She frowned at him.

"You aren't tall enough," she said. 

"Huh?"

"I refuse to costar with anyone who is taller than me." Aang wanted so badly to snap at her, tell her that she wasn't starring in the play, that she was the understudy, but he held his tongue. For one, he wasn't confrontational or combative, and besides, there was something about Azula that seemed... dangerous, like normal rules didn't apply to her, like she would do anything to get what she wanted. 

~~~

Toph didn't know how or why, but she always seemed to know when someone was lying. Maybe it was because she was blind. Most people put on a good face when they lied, and mostly, that was all that anyone ever cared about, all they ever saw. But for some reason, Toph could always hear a small change in their voice, feel their feet tapping nervously on the ground. And it made her realize just how much people lied.

"I just love your outfit, Mai," That was Azula, and she was lying. It was earlier in the morning, and Toph was moving the sets onto the stage to be painted. Teo was fiddling with the lights in the sound booth, and Mai and Ty Lee were supposed to be looking at costumes, before Azula showed up. Their conversation was quiet at first, but then it began to escalate.

"Azula, I know you're upset," Ty Lee said, "But it's not the end of the world." Toph inched closer. 

"You don't understand. My father is coming to see the performance," panic was starting to set in her voice, "He's taking time out of his busy schedule to come see me, and if I'm not the lead I'll have wasted all his time for nothing." 

"Azula," Mai said with a gentleness that rarely emerged from her stoic demeanor, "Your dad knows you're an understudy, right?"

"No," Azula said, "I told him I was Juliet before the cast list even came out, because I was so sure of myself," she inhaled deeply, "I have to find a way..."

"Just promise us you won't do anything crazy," Ty Lee pleaded. 

"Fine," Azula sighed, "I promise."

And Toph knew that was another lie.


	4. Off Book

Katara woke up to the sun streaming in through the window of her dorm room. The first thing she saw was 17 messages on her phone. 

"It's been like that since 2 am," said Ty Lee, who was doing yoga on the floor. 

"You woke up at 2 am?"

"No, that's just when got back." Katara shrugged, yawned, and looked at the texts. She'd been added to a group chat with Zuko, Suki, Aang, Sokka, and Toph. 

Hey, I know it's like 2 am but does anyone want to go to the movies tomorrow

That was Suki. Katara was about to reply that yes, she could, when saw on her calendar that she would have to be off-book tomorrow. There would be no more scripts onstage, and she still wasn't fully memorized yet. She saw that Aang had also declined the offer, so she texted him. 

Hey, do you want to practice lines today? 

After a minute or two, he responded. 

Sure! What time? 

How about now?

For a moment, her phone was quiet, and Katara felt a little bit of dread creep in.

Great! I'll meet you in the park

She smiled and went up to the closet she and Ty Lee shared. Just like the rest of the room, it was divided between pinks and blues, although Ty Lee had significantly more clothes than Katara. She put on jeans, a navy blue top, and a sweater her grandmother had knit for her. The last step was to take her mother's necklace from its place on her nightstand and clasp it around her neck. 

"I'm going out," she said to Ty Lee, who was twisted into an elaborate pretzel shape. Katara headed down the hallway and out the two double doors. It was a blustery day. Brightly colored autumn leaves fluttered through the air like splatters of paint on a grey October canvas. She made her way across the campus to bench next to a spindly tree, and waited for Aang. After a few minutes she saw him coming towards her waving, and they started to work on their lines. 

~~~

"This is my favorite spot," Aang said as they stood in front of The Jasmine Dragon Cafe. They had practiced lines for an hour and decided to take a break.

"Do they have gluten free stuff?" Katara asked, pushing open the door. 

"I think so. Are you allergic?"

"I have celiac, so I could go to the hospital if I eat gluten." From behind a fashion magazine, a girl with amber eyes and black hair perked up. The two of them ordered their food, and found a seat by the large windows.

"I can't believe I've lived in this city for my whole life and I've never been here before," Katara said between bites of her salmon salad and sips of her chai latte.

"I know! When I moved here at the start of my freshman year at college I went all over the city. Zuko's uncle owns this place."

"So, where are you from then," Katara asked. 

"My family travels a lot," Aang said bashfully, "They're all vegan, my grandpa's a philosopher."

"Are you a vegan?" Aang grinned and gestured to his eggless pumpkin tart and vegetable soup, 

"I'm literally the only person who orders these off the menu."

"I was wondering about that," Katara laughed, "Can I ask you another thing?"

"Sure."

"Why did you get into theater?" 

"Well..." Aang shifted nervously in his seat, "This is pretty embarrassing, but I really like to dance." Katara giggled. 

"Really? I think that's sweet." 

"Yeah, my first show was Peter Pan when I was eleven. Why'd you get into theater?" Katara smiled, but there was sadness behind her eyes. 

"My mom," she said, "She loved Shakespeare, when I was nine or ten, she took me and Sokka to the outdoor Shakespeare festival at this University. It was A Midsummer Night's Dream, and I was mesmerized," she looked far off into the distance, as if she were in another time and place, "She promised we'd go to another show next year, but..." tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Oh," Aang took her hands, "Katara, I'm really really sorry."

"It's okay," she said, releasing a long, contented sigh, "I guess doing theater is me and Sokka's way of remembering her."

"Have you performed in the Shakespeare festival?"

"Yeah. I was Viola in Twelfth Night, last Summer. The outdoor stage is probably my favorite place on earth."

"We could go practice there if you want." Katara looked at him oddly, "It's free to use in the fall," Aang clarified. 

"I didn't know that," she said softly, before standing up abruptly, "Let's go." Aang didn't argue. They paid for their lunch and walked outside, right as a gust of wind knocked Katara back, sending her hair every which way. Aang's hat flew off of his head, revealing a crown of dark brown curls. Filled with a sudden surge of joy, the two of them jumped up, trying to catch it. Katara managed to snag it from the air, and pulled the hat over her head with a smirk. 

Laughing, they walked across the campus, trampling through leaves and shivering every time the wind began to pick up. The outdoor stage was near the theater wing, with stone benches curved around it in an amphitheater like fashion, and it was completely empty. Aang and Katara glanced at each other. Katara jumped onto the stage and lied down with her arms across her chest. 

"Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavoury guide," Aang said dramatically, "Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on The dashing rocks thy seasick, weary bark. Here's to my love!" he took Katara's chai latte and pretended it was poison, "O true apothecary, Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die." He crumpled to the ground. 

Katara stood up, trying to hold back a smile.

"O happy dagger, This is thy sheath. There rust and let me die!" Katara tumbled to the floor of the stage next to Romeo. They lie there for several minutes, unable to stop laughing. 

~~~

"I guess I'll see you at rehearsal tomorrow," Aang said as they walked back through the campus. Katara nodded.

"We'll have to get through the death scene without laughing."

"Romeo and Juliet is actually pretty ridiculous when you think about it," Aang said. He hesitated for a second. There was so much more that he wanted to say to Katara, but he just wasn't sure how to get the words out. There was just this sense of belonging when he was near her, and it just felt so right. 

"Did you like The Jasmine Dragon?" he blurted out.

"Oh!" Katara felt a little twinge of disappointment, but she wasn't sure why, "It was amazing! We should... do it again sometime." Aang smiled and began to walk towards one of the two dormitories. 

"Wait!"

"Huh," he spun around.

"I- had a lot of fun today," Katara said, "More fun than I've had in a long time." Aang beamed and said something back, but she couldn't tell what it was. The wind drowned out every word. So instead, Katara walked back with a spring in her step and a feeling of wholeness in her heart.


	5. Stumble-Thru

After about a week of practicing without scripts, the cast was getting close to the end. They were in their final two weeks of rehearsals, and they were all exhausted. Sokka's grades were steadily dropping, Suki was wearing less and less makeup, and Katara was pulling all-nighters to get her work done, among other things. Still, there was a sense of determination on Monday as they walked into the auditorium. 

"Today and tomorrow, We're going to stumble through the whole show, no stops," said Mr. Piandao, once everyone was situated, "For the remainder of this week, and most of next week, we'll be in tech week," he thought for a moment, "Although technically it's tech weeks, and it will feel like tech month. Anyway, we'll be rehearsing until 7 o'clock most days, and on Friday, we open our show." 

There were murmurs of excitement from the students. 

"Alright, everyone get onstage. We'll start with the prologue." There was the clamor of footsteps and muffled voices. Everyone started onstage at the beginning of the show, and they traded off lines for the prologue. 

"Two households, both alike in dignity (In fair Verona, where we lay our scene), From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean..."

~~~

Sokka scribbled furiously in his notebook, They were in act two, scene two, and he would be on soon. Sokka and Katara had both ended up pursuing theater, but while Katara's passion was acting, performing, and being in the limelight, Sokka loved to write plays. So far, he wasn't as successful as Katara in his endeavor. 

"What are you writing?" Sokka jumped and saw Suki leaning over him. 

"Nothing!" he whispered quickly, before hesitating, "Actually, I'm writing a one act."

"Really?" Suki sat next to him, making sure that she was out of the light of the auditorium. An important rule of the theater was 'If you can see the audience, they can see you.'

"Can I read it?"

"Well, I don't know. It's not finished, and my handwriting is really bad, and-" Sokka looked up at Suki, her blue eyes shining with curiosity. Sokka's were the color of an icy sea, but Suki's eyes were like a clear blue sky. Boundless, unclouded. For some reason, Sokka had always assumed they were green. Without a word, he handed her the notebook. She read it silently, tucking a strand of auburn brown hair behind her ear every time she turned a page. 

"What do you think?" he asked after a torturous five minutes, the only sounds being Romeo, declaring his love for Juliet.

"I want to know how it ends," Suki finally said. 

"Really?" Sokka whispered, "Honestly, I don't really know how it's going to end."

"Although," Suki continued, "The romance could use a little work."

"Well, you're the one who wanted to read it."

"It's fine, but it's just too... surface level. I suggest you read some sonnets."

"Really," Sokka said, "Poetry?" 

"Shakespeare has some good ones."

"Okay," Sokka said, "I'll humor you. Which one's you're favorite?"

"Sokka!" Piandao, called from the front of the theater, "That's your cue." Sokka made a sound that could only be described as an embarrassed shriek and stumbled onto the stage, while Suki giggled softly from the back. 

~~~

That day, the cast was able to finish the first half of the show, and when they walked into the auditorium the very next afternoon, the sets were finished. Most impressive was a wooden structure that was painted by some of the art students to look like either marble or stone, representing one of the two houses, depending on how the set was rotated. 

They picked up right from where they left off, much to the chagrin of Aang and Katara.

"Can't we just do the balcony scene once?" they pleaded.

"No," Mr. Piandao said flatly. He seemed to be running purely on coffee and sheer force of will, "Everyone get to your places." Sokka was onstage right away for the first scene of act three. 

"Good King of Cats, nothing but one of your nine lives," Sokka said to Zuko, who played Juliet's cousin Tybalt. He could help but chuckle a little bit at this line. Shakespeare was incredible, but certain dialogues were silly in modern context. 

Soon, Sokka and Zuko began to fight. They used special stage combat swords with thick edges and blunt tips. Every swing and parry was perfectly choreographed, perfectly planned. With a dramatic flourish, Zuko slid the sword underneath Sokka's arm, and he crumpled to the ground.

"A plague on both your houses!" he howled. That was his favorite part. It dramatic, it was iconic, it was memorable. Jet dragged Sokka backstage and unceremoniously dropped him on the floor. 

"Ow," he said as his head hit the ground. Sokka took the sword and put back safely in the prop room. He wanted to talk to Suki again, but as he was walking out of the prop room, he tripped over a shield that was not properly put back, triggering several brightly colored scarves and a tray of plastic grapes to fall onto the floor with a clatter. 

Sokka carefully put every scarf and fake fruit back in it's place. In the dark, as he didn't wanted to disturb the actors. Grumbling, with several stubbed toes, Sokka hobbled to the edge of the curtains and saw that he had missed his chance to talk to Suki. She was informing Juliet of Romeo's banishment.

I'll just talk to her later. 

~~~

Sokka didn't get the chance to talk to Suki that day, because as soon as they finished the stumble-through, Azula and Ty Lee, the costume designer, walked into the auditorium with a few boxes of pizza.

"There's no food in the theater, Azula," said Piandao. He handed her a ring of keys, "Everyone head to the concession stand. Great job. You've been working hard." The cast stampeded out of the theater like a herd of wildebeests to the watering hole. Outside the auditorium was a concession stand, and everyone lined up in front of it.

"This looks like some high quality pizza," Sokka said as they got closer to the front. Zuko shrugged. 

"My sister's rich. Dad paid for her tuition, so she can buy whatever pizza she wants."

"Did he pay for your tuition?"

"Nope." Sokka took a slice of pepperoni. Zuko had cheese, and they went over to where Suki was sitting. Sokka didn't continue their conversation from the day before. Instead, they talked about the new sets.

Aang and Katara were next up in line. Azula smiled at them, but it looked more like she was baring her teeth. 

"Is any of this gluten free?" Katara asked.

"As a matter of fact," Azula said, with her serpentine grin, "It-"

"It has gluten," Ty Lee interrupted. Since there weren't any vegan options either, both Aang and Katara continued on their way. 

"Did you just try to poison my roommate?!" Ty Lee whispered harshly. Azula glared at her. 

"We'll talk later," she said. Katara and Aang joined Suki, Sokka, and Zuko, all oblivious to the gathering storm that was their cast mate.


	6. Tech Week

When Aang and Katara walked into the auditorium the next day, things were... different. Everyone was more alert, more focused. Now was not the time for fooling around. They had a show to put together. Tech week had arrived. 

"I'd like to introduce you to the stage crew," said Mr. Piandao, "First of all, we have our deck chief, Toph, who will be managing things backstage." Toph was sitting at the edge of the stage, along with the run crew, who would move the sets during scene changes. 

"Teo and Meng are our tech crew." Meng waved from where the spotlight was at the back of the theater. Teo smiled from where he was sitting up in the sound booth. 

"Finally, Mai and Ty Lee are going to talk to you about costumes." Mai and Ty Lee couldn't have been more different if they tried. Ty Lee had gotten all dolled up for tech week. The stage crew was supposed to wear black, and apparently to her that meant a little black dress. Still, there was just a flash of pink in her lipstick and the hair tie at the end of her braid. 

Mai's wardrobe probably entirely consisted of black clothing. With her ebony hair and pale skin, she looked like a ghost. 

"Hi guys!" Ty Lee said, "I'm Ty Lee. I do costumes!" She elbowed Mai, who sighed. 

"And I'm Mai. I do makeup," she said somberly, as if she were announcing someone's death. Another elbow. 

"And together, we're going to make sure you look great for this show," They said in unison. Mai looking like she wanted to disappear into the curtains. 

"We're going to start with Friar Lawrence, Benvolio, and Lady Capulet," Ty Lee said. The actors in question followed the two girls out of the auditorium. 

"Let's run through the balcony scene," Piandao said. Aang and Katara grinned. They bounded onto the stage, Katara running up the stairs of the wooden set. 

"But soft! What light through yonder window breaks. It is the east, and Juliet is the sun," Aang serenaded. They effortlessly, but passionately continued through the scene. They kissed, which had gotten easier, and said their farewells, which hadn't. Then Piandao moved on to another scene between Katara and Suki. 

"Hey Sokka," Aang asked nervously once he was backstage, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Sokka responded as they watched the scene unfold.

"How do you know if you're in love with someone?" Sokka looked at him oddly. In the dark backstage light, he couldn't tell if he was being serious. Aang grabbed his hand and dragged him into the hallway.

"Oh," Sokka said, looking at Aang's earnest face, "You're being serious," he thought for a moment. Being in Love. He had definitely been in love before, with Yue. He didn't know if she had been in love with him though. He wanted to think about why he knew he was in love with her, but when he tried, another face sprang to mind, not with white hair, but with auburn. 

"When you're in love," he said quietly, "I guess, everything seems... new, like you're looking at the world in a different light, when you're looking at it with them. And you're always thinking about them, they're always in the back of you're mind, and-" he thought for a moment. Then he looked back at Suki.

"And what?" Aang said.

"And you just want to say it to them,"

"Say what?"

"Say 'I love you'," Sokka snapped back to reality and cleared his throat, "How's that for some advice."

"Thanks, Sokka," Aang said earnestly. 

"Glad I could help!"

"Mercutio, Romeo, Juliet, and Juliet's nurse," Ty Lee called, "Time for costumes." 

When they got to the dressing rooms, Mai offhandedly showed Aang and Sokka where their costumes were on the rack, then disappeared with Katara, Ty Lee, and Suki into the girls dressing room. Sokka's costume was fairly simple. A white shirt with billowy sleeves, a red vest, and knee britches. Aang's was similar, with a few other embellishments. He was the lead after all. After ten minutes, they heard a knock on the door.

"Time for hair and makeup!" Ty walked inside, "Sokka, you can do your own makeup, right?

"Uh..."

"Suki's already done with hers, so why don't you meet her in the hall?" Sokka nodded and walked outside. Suki had a station set up with makeup and a mirror.

"Hey!" she said, "Do you need makeup?"

"Yeah." Suki smiled. For the most part, stage makeup was simple. It was needed to add more definition to the face, so the lights didn't wash you out completely. She got done with the makeup pretty quickly. 

"You were... going to tell me your favorite sonnet," Sokka said. 

"Oh, yeah, Sonnet 116. Let me pull it up, I'll read it to you." Suki typed something into her phone. 

"Let me not, to the marriage of true minds..."

"Mai, I swear, if you're using too much eyeliner!" Ty Lee barged out the door and into the girls dressing room. Sokka had never seen her mad about anything before. Suki sighed. 

"Anyways, before I was rudely interrupted, Admit impediments. Love is not love, Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove." As Suki continued to read the poem, she looked less and less at her phone, and it became clear that she had memorized it. Their eyes met. Sokka wanted to make a comment on the poem, but he held his tongue. Something about her voice was captivating. 

"Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom." 

"Don't go too crazy with the hair!" that was Mai.

"Just be quiet!!" Suki shouted, before waiting for a few seconds. There was silence. They seemed to have gotten the message.

"If this be error and upon me prov'd, I never writ, nor no man ever loved," she finished quickly. The silence seemed to stretch on infinitely, as if each were daring the other to do something, anything. And then finally, one of them did. 

~~~

"Why you look positively dashing, dear Romeo."

"And you as well, my fair Juliet," Aang and Katara giggled. 

"Really, though, you look beautiful," Aang said. Katara felt her cheeks reddening. 

"Thanks," she said, "I never thought Mai and Ty Lee would be done fussing with me." Aang turned to face the hallway... and saw Sokka and Suki making out. 

"Um..." 

"What is it?" Katara looked in the same direction, "Really, Sokka!" she chastised, "In the middle of the hallway!" 

"So are you dating now?" Aang asked bluntly. 

"Well," Sokka looked expectantly at Suki. 

"Yes we are," she said confidently, and Sokka's heart warmed. 

~~~

After 2 more hours of running through scenes, troubleshooting, and trying on costumes, it was time to go. Aang approached Katara. 

"Do you want to go get dinner?" he asked, not entirely sure if he meant it as a date or not. He really wasn't thinking this through. 

"Sure!" Katara said, "We could go to that barbeque place down the street!"

"I'm coming too!" Ty Lee cut in. She was trying to avoid Azula at all costs. Aang and Katara glanced at each other, but didn't argue. In the end, Zuko, Toph, and Mai tagged along too, with Suki and Sokka going to a much fancier sushi place that was definitely going to hurt their wallet, for a first date. 

As the six of them walked down the street, Katara was conflicted. On one hand, she was disappointed that it wasn't just her and Aang. But on the other, she couldn't afford any distractions. And Aang was a huge distraction. She was the lead in a theatrical production, and she needed to focus. Sure, they were in love on stage, but Katara knew from experience that that didn't mean they were in love in real life. She had tried a relationship with her costar, and she wanted to forget that. 

Aang's feelings were different. As he looked at Katara, she practically seemed to glow against the night sky. She radiated warmth and confidence, and that nervousness, that apprehension that usually faded away as rehearsals went on, it never left. If anything it had gotten stronger. And it wasn't around the show itself, it was around Katara. She made everything new and unique, like Sokka had said. And Aang knew he was in love.


	7. Cue to Cue

Ty Lee had spent almost a week trying to avoid Azula, but on Tuesday, she decided it was time to face the music. She, Mai, and Azula shuffled into the prop closet and closed the door behind them. 

"I can't believe this," Mai said in a low voice, "You tried to poison Katara."

"And it would've worked if someone hadn't told her it wasn't gluten free."

"Oh really, Azula," Mai said, "Let's say she has the pizza, and has a severe reaction. She'd go to the hospital and miss what, 2 days!? She'd still be here for the majority of rehearsals."

"Okay, then I'll just try again-"

"No!" Ty Lee shouted. She said a little more quietly,"Azula, you need help. You need a therapist."

"You don't understand," Azula said, completely ignoring Ty Lee,"If my father sees that I didn't get the lead, he'll be furious. He'll send me back to work at his company, and I won't get to do theater anymore." Mai sighed. It was just the same excuses over and over again. 

"I can't do this anymore, Azula," she said, "It's exhausting to be your friend. It's all about you, and never about any of the rest of us." She walked out of the prop room without looking back. Azula's face was stricken. It had all happened so suddenly. Ty Lee inched toward her, wanting to help, but at the same time wanting to be free.

"If you really want to perform as Juliet, just ask Katara if you can do one of the shows," she said hesitantly, "I hung out with her last week, and she seems really nice-"

"Oh, so you're just best friends with her now?!" Azula shot back, "Now I see where your loyalties lie." Ty Lee's face hardened. 

"I have stood by you for years, and you've never given me so much of an acknowledgment!" she screamed, "I have given you chance, after chance, and what do I get in return? Nothing!" She walked gracefully out of the prop room, leaving Azula frozen in place. After a few minutes she stood up, taking every ounce of her strength not to burst out crying. 

"Oh! Azula!" said Mr. Piandao as she walked out of the prop room, "I was just looking for you."

"Why?" Azula said bitterly, "I'm just an understudy."

"Well that's just it. Can you perform as Juliet for the first couple hours today. I want to make sure that you're prepared."

"Oh," Azula said softly, "Yes, of course." 

~~~

Aang had spent almost a week trying to talk to Katara, trying to tell her how he felt. But they were always too busy to actually have a conversation. When they weren't on stage, they were trying on costumes or helping with the sets. But since the understudies were performing today, they would finally have some time to themselves. 

"Hey, Katara," Aang said. He found her in the crossover, behind the back curtains. It was how actors would move from one side of the stage to the other without being seen, "There's something I-"

"Coming through!" said one of the stage crew members. Her nickname was Smellerbee, and as far as Aang knew, she didn't go by anything else. 

"What were you going to say?" Katara asked.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt," It was Smellerbee again, "Can I get a picture of you two for the program." Aang glanced at Katara. 

"Sure," they said. They took the photos outside the auditorium doors. After a tedious few minutes, they were back at the crossover. 

"You have my full attention," Katara said. 

"Right, Katara," Aang said, his voice shaking, his heart was doing somersaults inside his chest, "I'm just going to say it. I'm in love with you," he blurted out.

For what seemed like an eternity, they were quiet. Katara was too stunned to say anything. 

"Aang," she whispered, "You're not in love with me."

"I- I don't understand."

"You only think you have feelings for me because we're in love onstage.

"Katara, I've thought about this a lot," Aang said, trying to keep the panic sheer panic from clawing its way out of him. 

"But I know from experience."

"What do you mean?"

"When I was in Twelfth Night, Jet and I were the leads. We started dating, mostly because we were in a relationship in the show, and I, I thought it was love," Katara said, "But it turned out that it was just a summer fling. We broke up after closing night," her voice was bitter. 

"I'm... really sorry," Aang said. He couldn't think of anything else to say. 

"Look, Aang, I like you, a lot," Katara said, "But I don't know if any these feelings are real or not. Maybe after the the play is over, we can revisit it."

"Yeah," Aang said, "I'm sorry I made it awkward-"

"No, you didn't," Katara replied quickly, "And... Aang-"

"Alright, we're going to run some trouble spots," Piandao said from the auditorium, "Aang and Katara, you're up."

"Let's talk later."

~~~

Fire was a puzzling thing. It burned bright, it made everything warmer. Fire illuminated. But fire also burned. It destroyed everything around it, and it would eventually flicker out. Most of all, fire was unstable. 

Standing on the wooden balcony, Azula felt a range of emotions coursing through her. She was finally in the lead role, if only for an hour or so, and when she was up there, onstage, with the spotlight shining right at her, she would do anything to stay there. Maybe she could talk to Katara, like Ty Lee had said. No, she wouldn't think about Ty Lee. She wouldn't think about Mai either. 

"Aang and Katara, you're up." Azula reluctantly tore herself off of the stage, as Katara walked on. She looked distracted. That was the other thing about fire. It would always bow before water. 

~~~

They ended the rehearsal at around seven that night. Aang got a call from his Grandpa, Gyatso. He was in town to see the play. Aang shared an awkward hug with Katara and left to go see him. 

"Can I get some people to help strike the set?" Piandao asked. Seeing that Katara and Sokka raised their hands, Azula volunteered as well. 

"Sokka, help me move the set into the garage. Can you two bring these to my office?" he handed Katara and Azula two damaged swords and the poison bottle, which seemed to have grown some sort of mold from whatever liquid was inside it, "It's upstairs, third door on the right." 

"So I was thinking," Azula said as she and Katara walked up the staircase, "What if we split the shows. I'm Juliet for the first two, you are for the second two..."

"Azula," Katara replied, "I'm really sorry, but that's not how it works. I auditioned, I got the part, now I get to perform as that part, 100 percent of the time."

"But-"

"That's just the way it is. I've worked hard to get here. Remember, there's always next year." 

"You're going to regret that," Azula muttered. She had tried to negotiate, and it failed. There was one more option. 

Katara didn't hear her. She put the props in the office and headed back towards the stairs, still reeling from her conversation with Aang. The truth was, she did have feelings for him, and she wasn't sure if those feelings would go away after the final curtain call. She felt bad for what she'd said to Azula, but she had given up so much for the play, and the part, and she was going to follow through. 

Lost in her own head, Katara didn't notice the purposeful footsteps coming towards her. As she walked up to the edge of the second floor, she felt a hard shove, and then she was tumbling down the flight of stairs. 

Maybe fire had won out after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for Reading! I will try to update this every week.


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